And disintegrating



" -tatet geteilt HO-RATIO ALLEN, OF- NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE All/IERI;

C AN FIBRE. COMPANY. Lette/rs Patent No. 87,387, dated .Ma/rich 2. 186.9.

nvrpRovnMENT Inv vnnvris or' s'T'EM-GUNS POR SPARATING AND DrsINTEGRATmG enanas.

The- Scheduleirefened to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same. H4-

v Lymans patent for disintegrating materials of vegetable growth) is an iron cylinder, of usually twelve inches diameter, twenty-four feet long. The ends of this cylinder are closed by valves of the full diameter of the inside of cylinder. These valves, when closed, areto be steam-tight against a pressure of two hundred'pounds per square inch. The valve at the discharging-end is to bereadily disengaged, so that the'contents of 'cyl'- inder may be discharged as suddenly as possible. l

The combinations by which I make a tight valve when closed, a valve easily discharged, and provide for the control of an arm which carries thevalve when discharged, are presented in drawings herewith.

' Figures '1, 2, and 3,l present three viewsof the combination. Y

A is the bre-gun, being an iron cylinder, usually twelveinches diameter, twenty-four feet long, and one in h thick. i

the gun.

At one end of the cylinder'is the discharge-valve; at the other, the loading-valve. The valve-seats are conical, being in the ends of the cylinder.

A conical valve, a, made of lead, closesI the coiicall` seat. The lead valve is about one inch thick, the lesser Idiameter of the cone being about twelve inches for a twelve-inch gun, and the Iargediameter about twelve and a half inches. The lead valves are carried by an iron plate, b,' and the iron plate is fastened to an arm, c, being bolted to itby a single bolt and nut, 1l.

The arm, at the loading-end, is connected with the cylinder by a hinge-joint at c, onl which the arm swings in a horizontal plane, and the arm is drawn close to the cylinder, and the lead valve forced into its seat by means of nut and screw, as shown in the drawings.

The arm c, at the discharge-end, is connected with the cylinder-,on its lo'wer side, by a hinge-joint at g, on vwhich the arm swings in a vertical plane.

T0 control the motion of the arm when the gun is discharged, its exterior surface, h h Iz. l1, is made of a durved forni, as .shown in the drawing.

Below the arm, and in contact with it, is the iron plate ,camed by the oak plank k, which is six to eight pin, l, on which the oak plank is free to turn; The

timber D, a part of the frame B, issix to eight inches below the oak plank, and between "the oak plank and the timber D is a body of rubber, eight to ten inches square; and eight to ten inches deep. f v

The iron pin g, on whichthe arrncswings, is firmly connected with the timber D by two side-plates, m m,- which pass through the timber D, and keyed with washer. -These plates prevent the separation of the timber D from the cylinder.

To, draw and hold the valve to its seat, the double lever n isuse'd. lThis lever has its fulcrum on an iron pin, the ends of which are carried in a horizontal groove on top of cylinder, and 4to the saine pin are attached the ends of the rods o o, by which the pin forming the fulcrum of the lever n can be moved lengthwise the cylinder.

One'end of the' lever n is formed with a catch, p, as shown in the drawing, which catches over the topend of the arm when in a vertical position, as represented.

The other end of the'lever, which is loaded with a weight, q, rests on an inclined plane, r, carried by a groove in the top side of thecylinder.

The inclined plane r is mov( ble lengthwise the cyl inder, by rod s.

The rods o o, by which the lever n is moved lengthwise the cylinder, are attached to the centre'of the lever' t, (this lever has its centre at u,) and at .the other end are attached the nut and screw o. The rod on whichth'e screw o is cut, is heldagainst endwise motion caught on the upper end'of the arm. This being done, the inclined plane lr is pushed forward, and by its action the catch-end ofthe lever n is forced down on the upper end of the arm. This being done, the screw@l is turned by its handle, and, tlnpugli the-lever t and the arm c, the lead valve is' forced into contact with its seat with great power Vhe'n the gun is to be discharged, the inclined plane r is drawn back, and the end of the lever which rested on it is then free to fall, (aslight blow on it will cause itl to fall,) which will raise the `otherend, and thus disengage the other end from the arm. As soon as the arm is disengaged, the valve will no longer be held in its scat. The power of steam will then force the valve and arm from the gun, and with great Velocity.

The arln, when thus thrown from the gun, will be brought to rest by the action of the arm on the plate with which it -is in contact. As the arm -begins to inches thick, and is attached to tlie frame B by an iron f turn on its centre, it forces down the oak plank k, and

` curved form of the arm.

In practice it is found that the resistance of' the compressed r'ubber, in combination withv the curved form of the arm, effects the bringing the valve to a state oi' rest in a satisfactory manner.

In conclusion I would observe, that While the herein'- described arrangement of the bul'er is productive of satisfactory results, the details oi'- construction and arrangement may be varied in many respects, withoutdeparting from the principle of this portion of my invention, which, om the foregoing description, will be understood to consist in providing an elastic or yielding bui'er to receive the stroke of the valve.' And so with respect to the mechanism for lockingr the lead valve, the construction of the same canl be varied, or, if desired, the means heretofore employed for the purpose may be used.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure byvLet ters Patent, is-

ffl. The employment, in connection With the discharge-valve of a fibre-gun, of an elastic. or yielding buffer; to receive the` impact or stroke of the valve,

substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

sisef! 2. The discharge-valve, and its vibratory support` ing-arm, having a-curved exterior surface, as described, in combination with a yielding buffer, upon Whci1 the, curved surface of said arm, when the valve is thrown` hack, acts, substantially in the manner specified.

3. The construction and arrangement, with relation@ to the hinged discharge-valve and its supporting-mmf described, for actuating said lever and inclined plane,

under the arrangement and for operation as set forth.

. HORATIO ALLEN. Witnesses:

GEO. E. LEQUIN, FRED. W, CHILD. 

